QuoteWe are all Mac obsessed, drink bucketloads of Starbucks

I'm sorry, but... Oh. My. God. 

Quote from: peter_stockfresh on August 12, 2010, 15:04

QuoteWe are all Mac obsessed, drink bucketloads of Starbucks

I'm sorry, but... Oh. My. God. 

Hi Peter :-) I hope you've enjoyed CEPIC as I did and you'll show up some smart ideas on your site! Let's do a Hungarian/Czech cometition game ;-) You guys made a nice site anyway! Good start!

Quote from: zager on August 12, 2010, 15:09

Quote from: peter_stockfresh on August 12, 2010, 15:04

QuoteWe are all Mac obsessed, drink bucketloads of Starbucks

I'm sorry, but... Oh. My. God. 

Hi Peter :-) I hope you've enjoyed CEPIC as I did and you'll show up some smart ideas on your site! Let's do a Hungarian/Czech cometition game ;-) You guys made a nice site anyway! Good start!

You already won Press release of the year, what else is left for us? 

Quote from: peter_stockfresh on August 12, 2010, 15:17
You already won Press release of the year, what else is left for us? 

Bucketloads of Starbucks for free in Prague! ;-)

Quote from: sharpshot on August 12, 2010, 11:54
^^^It just lets you post a link on twitter to the watermarked image on pixmac.  Nothing sinister, other sites do the same.  Probably wont generate many sales, I still don't quite get twitter but have been doing a bit of twitting lately

Thanks for the info. 

Concerning the quality of the files, here is a composite cropped from part of a file as it appears on DT Pixmax and Fotolia (I can't help wondering if it was remade for DT). Anyway, the Pixmac version (middle) is the feed from Fotolia (bottom).  Look at how muddy the details are in the Pixmac one.



It may be useful to degrade comps to prevent them just being used as they are, but doesn't the degradation here go too far? Such heavy blurring seems likely to deter customers and raise doubts about the quality of the files in the agency/by that photographer.

I just checked Dreamstime and I'm enrolled in their partner accounts....but I find none of the ones I searched for on Pixmac.

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on August 12, 2010, 16:01
Concerning the quality of the files, here is a composite cropped from part of a file as it appears on DT Pixmax and Fotolia (I can't help wondering if it was remade for DT). Anyway, the Pixmac version (middle) is the feed from Fotolia (bottom).  Look at how muddy the details are in the Pixmac one.



It may be useful to degrade comps to prevent them just being used as they are, but doesn't the degradation here go too far? Such heavy blurring seems likely to deter customers and raise doubts about the quality of the files in the agency/by that photographer.

I agree with him....some of the thumbnails really are bad. You might want to fix that if you expect more sales. I know if I was a buyer I would hesitate if the thumb was that far off. How would I know what it really looked like as a buyer?

*giggles*

Nice to know I've been a member there since January 1, 1970.  Which is odd since I wasn't born till Feburary 1972  

All of mind are from FT none from DT.  Have had no sales through the site at all.

Quote from: rubyroo on August 12, 2010, 07:59
Certainly there are contributors that can produce more material for less, but if the only contributors left are the ones at the top, the reduction in choice, variety and overall volume will be palpable.  We already see complaints from buyers about the 'samey' quality of much in microstock.  I read in this forum yesterday that macrostock has taken a turn upwards for the first time in years, and my guess is that it's because buyers are getting tired of the 'samey-ness'  and are prepared to pay a bit more for something different.  (Poor results in agency search engines is another major issue for buyers).  In micro, the reviewers' guidelines largely won't allow us to stray too far from a strict criteria (with the exception of iStock, who seem to have a greater appreciation for creativity).

I am glad to hear that you don't think prices will go any lower.  It'll be interesting to hear what Simon thinks on that point also.  Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to questions.  It's always good to get direct answers from the people at the helm, and is much appreciated.  

Hi - Simon here again, I also don't think prices will go any lower (but who can really predict?). I've spent most of my career in mainstream stock photography - I'm new in the microstock arena, but really love it already - but it seems really really tough for all photographers.  I love graphic design, I love New Media, I love digital photography.  I always hope that prices for good content will go up regardless of whether the content is in RM, RF or microstock or macrostock. Good photography is good photography at the end of the day.

I wonder what will happen in a few years time when you can buy a 40mpix, 50mpix or even 60mpix camera for a few hundred dollars or less? I think Canon and Nikon are coming out soon with a 32mpix camera? or something like that ?  Also, technological advancements in 'the cloud'/browser based applications will play a part I am sure. 

A friend of mine just finished filming a whole documentary for the Discovery Channel in Africa on a Canon EOS 7D 18pmix stills camera with its high-def video camera !  I asked him 'where's your camera?' - he said 'that's it!'.  He used to carry one of those big camera's like they have in news crews !!   He told me he paid $3800 for it inc. a lens!

I also hope that new markets will open up for all stock photography - someone told me today that print magazines are making a resurgence because online is opening new opportunities (I dont know if that is true though) Maybe new magazines for things like the ipad will open up demand, or mobile content etc.

Anyways - have a great weekend, and thanks for taking the trouble of giving us feedback.

(someone made a comment about my 'obsessed by Macs and drinking bucketloads of Starbucks' - it made me think ! I've been totally
sucked in by big brands and branding over the years. I've spent too much time in the Advertising agency world !! LOL!!!


best
Simon

Hi zager, thanks for the attention, i had posted similar question in dreamstime forum, and their answer is like the partner sites is accessible to all the portfolio but they may had filtered out some images so it is unlikely to have full portfolio, but for my case it is zero image. I don't think i have 100% similar images on dreamstime and fotolia.

anyway, let's know the results and hopefully most images are available for sales as a win-win situation for agency and contributors.

Quote from: zager on August 12, 2010, 14:28
Control and reselling issue


Portfolios differences

Guys Dirkr and mtkang, this is really strange. I'm going to find out what's behind that, because we should have everything. I'm sending the info to our dev team and will wait for their findings.

simon again !  here is pixie - the real leader of Pixmac. (just to prove we have an office dog !)
He's actually probably the smartest of all of us !!
He's a ratter - he eats about 3 Ikea stuffed toy rats a week (that's his pay)

I'd say:

• LCV
• Incorrect lighting / overexposed
• Focus problems
• Although hard to say with this size, I do believe I see some noise and artefacting

Thank you guys (BaldricksTrousers and donding) for commenting on the quality. We've been testing a lot which is the finest and it should be really tuned in our collection. But what I'm sure is not good is the re-saving we do with Fotolia images because what we get is 400px files and double save definitely kills red colors. I'm actively communicating with both supliers to give us better data and better quality service, but it's not always easy.

Thank you Anita Potter to find the 1970's bug. It's fixed already.

And mtkang, yes I'm sure it should be completely on Pixmac and I'm going to find out where's the problem. The developer that does that part of the site just left to vacation till 28th, so I'll be asking him to find out on next Monday 30th.

And Dirkr, how you can tell that? ;-) I'm the author of that photo and now I'm the exact position as many contributors are ;-) No, I'm joking... it was actually a snapshot for Simon...


Thank you all for the feedback!

I wonder any updates on the portfolio issue on pixmac? are all portfolio from dreamstime and fotolia are available through pixmac now? thanks.

Quote from: zager on August 14, 2010, 20:12
Thank you guys (BaldricksTrousers and donding) for commenting on the quality. We've been testing a lot which is the finest and it should be really tuned in our collection. But what I'm sure is not good is the re-saving we do with Fotolia images because what we get is 400px files and double save definitely kills red colors. I'm actively communicating with both supliers to give us better data and better quality service, but it's not always easy.

Thank you Anita Potter to find the 1970's bug. It's fixed already.

And mtkang, yes I'm sure it should be completely on Pixmac and I'm going to find out where's the problem. The developer that does that part of the site just left to vacation till 28th, so I'll be asking him to find out on next Monday 30th.

And Dirkr, how you can tell that? ;-) I'm the author of that photo and now I'm the exact position as many contributors are ;-) No, I'm joking... it was actually a snapshot for Simon...


Thank you all for the feedback!

I have never minded my images being on Pixmac.  They are a lot more above board than many other "partner" sites.  And they are one of the few that you can contact and will actually remove your images if you want. 

As others have mentioned, my most recent uploads, over the past month or two, are not yet showing on the site, but hopefully that will be sorted out soon. 

I appreciate both Vita and Simon taking the time to post here and listen to contributor concerns.  I think most of the worries with the sites come when there is not good dialogue between contributors and site administrators, so thanks for opening up the lines of communication

hi pixmac,

would like to have some feedback from this issue? since i guess most contributors that opt-in reseller will want to have more sales..thanks!
i check my profile in pixmac recently..still only partial portfolio from fotolia..nothing from dreamstime..

Quote from: mtkang on September 04, 2010, 11:50
I wonder any updates on the portfolio issue on pixmac? are all portfolio from dreamstime and fotolia are available through pixmac now? thanks.

Quote from: zager on August 14, 2010, 20:12
Thank you guys (BaldricksTrousers and donding) for commenting on the quality. We've been testing a lot which is the finest and it should be really tuned in our collection. But what I'm sure is not good is the re-saving we do with Fotolia images because what we get is 400px files and double save definitely kills red colors. I'm actively communicating with both supliers to give us better data and better quality service, but it's not always easy.

Thank you Anita Potter to find the 1970's bug. It's fixed already.

And mtkang, yes I'm sure it should be completely on Pixmac and I'm going to find out where's the problem. The developer that does that part of the site just left to vacation till 28th, so I'll be asking him to find out on next Monday 30th.

And Dirkr, how you can tell that? ;-) I'm the author of that photo and now I'm the exact position as many contributors are ;-) No, I'm joking... it was actually a snapshot for Simon...


Thank you all for the feedback!

just checked to see if my photos are on there. Some are available and have come from fotolia and dreamstime, one I found is credited to another photographer not me. I have sent a message hopefully it is rectified quickly.

edited

Photographer Colossus with 294,045  photos in portfolio.  Maybe another agency ? bigstock ??

My pictures are not on Pixmac, even though I'm not opted out in DT. Would you recommend uploading directly, or ask them to fix the bug from DT? Is there any hope to reach payout with a tiny port like mine?

Half on my DT portfolio is in, not sure where is the other half...

Quote from: qwerty on October 04, 2010, 11:23
just checked to see if my photos are on there. Some are available and have come from fotolia and dreamstime, one I found is credited to another photographer not me. I have sent a message hopefully it is rectified quickly.

edited

Photographer Colossus with 294,045  photos in portfolio.  Maybe another agency ? bigstock ??

Good guess! I just checked and I have images from my Bigstock port there -all credited to Colossus. Couldn't find any from my Dreamstime port though Regards, David.

1.)
Now, this is weird: on Pixmac I found the same image with two different photographer names/nicks, a weird duplication, because they are both from Fotolia.

http://www.pixmac.com/picture/intercom+system/000021861783
http://www.pixmac.com/picture/intercom+system/000032570629

2.)
Again thanks to you guys here on this forum! Here I heard about Pixmac and did indeed find part of my Dreamstime portfolio there. Wouldn't have learnt this otherwise.

Interesting. Will see what happens. If the payment is fair, I might like the concept. Should upload to Dreamstime again, especially now that iStock shot itself in the knee.

I must say I got a response from Pixmac very quickly

Basically Colossus is as I thought another agency that supplies pixmac, they wouldn't confirm where colossus gets their images.

I am sure though that it is via bigstock,

so third hand by the time they get to Pixmac